The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-03-05

tion of Hangmans Heath.
A shabby-oosing fellow, with terrible
squint, made his appearance from the
stables at the back, and stood at the mares
head.
"Oh it's you is III" said the Major, as he
got of. "None OF your tricks this time,
mind. You remember what gave you the
last time was here, l suppose, for hitting
the mare, don't youln
"Ees," replied the fellow, sulltily, ~ re-
membec right enoughn
Very good mind you don't do 1t again. |
III catch you touching the mare this time, |
I'll show you no mercy, you may depend on |
1t. Show the way, and I'll see the mare
done up and fed before go into the house."
The man sulkily obeycd, and when he had
seen Cicely comfortably done up for the
night and fed and patted affectionat ely, the
Major made his way through the kitchen
into the bar, where he found the landlord
and his buxom wife and pretty barmaid all
waiting to give him q hearty welcome.
"Well, Major, now you have made your
old favorite comfortable with your own
hands. you must let US do you up right and
proper for the nj tght, mustn't us. missis!'
said JAG. Shrub, as the Major at last made
his appearance from the stable.
81 wasn't going to trust my mare to the
tondcr mercies of that cock-eycd rascal of
yours, you may depend" answered the lat
ter. haven't forgotten catching him ill
using her with ptchfork when was here
| last, and I'll venture to say he hasn't for
| gotten the taste Of my horsewhip. l wonder
you keep the fellow about the place." added
| he.
"Well, SIR" replied Jacob, "to tell you
the truth l only keep him on out Of kind
ness. did start him, after the thrashing
you gave him, and served him right, Major;
but he begged so hard for forgiveness that
| l took him on again, and he does lot OF
work, does cross-eyed Dick, can tell you,
Major. If ever he offends again though III
show him no mercy, you may depend, SIR
'No, nor /, If he touches my mare" re
piled the Major, grasping his whip tightly
as he spoke "And now," continued he,
''what have you got to eat in the house
Jacobs I'm right hungry, can tell you,
and want something as quick as can have
it,"
"Well, now," said the landlord, scratch
ing his head "that's okkard-very okkard
that it is. Save cold meat, there's nothing
that you could have under thrcequartcrs OF
an hour. But I'll tell you what, Major,
there's gentlcman-an army gentleman, l
fancy, like yourself-has got dinner just
going up to him in the Blue Room. Vcnison
soup, roast gOslin and damson tart to finish
If you wouldn't mind a joining of him, I'll
send up and ask him at oncen
so, don't mind bit, if he don't" re-
piled the Major; "on the contrary, shall
be very glad of his company if he's good
fellow; and if, as you think, he's soldier
like myself, so much the better, as we
can fight our battles DER again over our
wine. Don't lose any time then, Jacob, but
J send up at once and tell the gentleman
shall be happy, if it pleases him. to join him
at dinner" The message, duly delivered
by the landlord in person, the reply came
back that the stranger sent his compli.
ments, and would be only too pleased If the
! Major would honor him with his company.
Major Brabazon, accordingly, was shown
up to the Blue Room, where the stranger
awaited him, and the dinner was ordered at
once.
Very agreeable it was, too, and very
agreeable was the stranger. 1t was hard To
) say, indeed, which the Major liked best
Though not an army man, as the landlord
| had surmised, the newcomer seemed to have
been everywhere and seen every thing. A
r more jovial companion, too, the Major had
never met. A game at piquet followed din
1 ner, which ended in the Major raising d
8 winner of $50. Then the latter proposed d
Q bowl of punch. A second followed and Q
r third, and fourth. How the Major got tc
s bed he never knew; but he woke up late the
8 next morning with n considerable headache
: to find that the stranger had mounted his
l horse and taken his departure some hours
t before.
p Breakfast despatched, the Major followed
: suit, and ordered the mare round. Ant
S when he urged Cicely into canter at the
4 first bit of turf they came to he was sur
4 prised to find that his favorite went remark
8 ably short. He had never known her so dul
Q and jaded as she now appeared.
I, ''She did nothing, either, yesterday" NUT
tered the Major. "Iwonderwhat the reason
1 is. Confound that cockeycd hostler OF
t Jacob's II thought he had been playing
4 any tricks on her I'd go back this minute
1 and break every bone in his body" X y y
1t was market day at Plumperton, just q
3 week after Major BrabaZon's sojourn fol
: the night at the Wheatsheaf Inn, and the
town of Plumperton was apparently in q
t great state of excitement about something
! or another-it seemed quite turned upside
i down in fact. Business was apparently
: suspended. The magnates Of the town in
Y twos and threes, and all looking extremely
: sol emn, were dotted about the High street
in little groups. Farmers and their wives
9 were gathered together at each street
D corner and in the market-place, one and all
S looking as glum as could be and one and
t all talking on the same subject, which
Q Judging from the scraps of conversation tc
: he heard as one passed by one of the assem-
8 bled groups, was none other than Major
Brabazon and his white-faced mare.
ttI'll never believe it of him, never, not II
. he was hung in chains ten times over!" ex,
D claimed one buXom farmers wife with tears
in her eyes.
"No; nor me neither" said another
p ''But, bless you, they'll never think of hang
ing the Major, no matter what he did Any
one else they might but never the Major "
sits q pity he hadn't another nag when
he robbed T. coarch," observed q young
farmer. SITS that mare Cicely and that
blessed white face of hern that's done the
Major"
''Go along wiz thee, struck in the country
dame, Indignantly $50 along Wi thee,
Cargo; any one, tohear.'ee talk, would think
the Major was guilty like, instead Of as
innocent as O blessed unborn babe"
What could all this mean!
Simply this: that q week ago-the very
night in fact, that Major Brabazon stayed
: at the Wheatsheaf-the London mail coach
| was stopped on the borders of Hangman's 8
J Heath by single highwayman, and the
passengers robbed and the guard shot dead.
J Highway robberies perpetrated by gentle
men Of the road were at that period of such
everyday occurrence that no one took much
notice Of this particular robbery, and two
days afterward it was as good as forgotten
by the Plumperton folk. But when, on the
sworn information of Timothy Trap, a
| of ha